Desert Hot Springs killing was revenge for one that happened 2 days earlier on same street, police say

Orlando Archuleta is a suspect in a March 29 homicide in Desert Hot Springs. Murder charges were filed against him while he was in custody for parole violation.(Photo: Desert Hot Springs Police Department)

A Desert Hot Springs man fatally shot someone as revenge for a killing that occurred two days earlier on the same street, court documents show.

Orlando Archuleta is accused of killing Jose Vargas, whose body was discovered March 29 inside a home on Sixth Street near Cactus Drive in Desert Hot Springs, police wrote in a declaration in support of an arrest warrant.

The document was released this week and it was the first time officials publicly confirmed the March 29 killing was linked to one that happened just days earlier.

Archuleta believed Vargas was involved in the death of Freddy Morales, a friend who was found dead March 27 at another home on Sixth Street, police said. No suspects have been identified in that killing.

Officials said Archuleta spoke to Morales' brother about retaliating on March 29. He and another suspect confronted Vargas and shot him several times before trying to flee.

A second man inside the home opened fire and wounded Archuleta.

As police investigated the shooting, they were notified that a shooting victim had been checked into Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

The patient was identified as Archuleta, who initially denied involvement in the Desert Hot Springs shooting, according to police. He ultimately admitted he was wounded at the scene, but didn't know who shot him.

Archuleta was released from the hospital.

Police spent several weeks investigating the shooting until an informant told them Archuleta was involved, according to the declaration.

He was identified as a suspect last week, but he was already in custody at the Robert Presley Detention center on an unrelated crime.

According to jail records, Archuleta was arrested on suspicion of parole violation April 7 at an unspecified location on Fourth Street.

He's being held without bail and is tentatively scheduled to appear in Riverside County Superior Court Thursday.